Magazine on Icelandic design and architecture

All posts filed under: Textile Design

In our DesignTalks Spotlights, we’re going into the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of what you should know about each of our DesignTalks speakers and why we are so excited about their work. We covered Christien Meindertsma in our first post, which you can read here. Next up, Alexander Taylor: Who? Alexander Taylor is a British industrial designer and leader of Alexander Taylor Studio, an industrial design studio that creates diverse products ranging from furniture and lighting to footwear. The London based studio was established in 2002 and has a strong focus on research and development of manufacturing techniques, material process, and technical collaboration. What have they done? What are they doing now? Experimenting with material processes and explorative collaborations, the studio has created successful products for companies such as Hunter, Established & Sons, Adidas and more. Fold lamp, first released in 2005 by Established & Sons, launched Taylor’s career. A small lamp folded from a single sheet of metal and accented with a brightly colored braided cord, Fold cleverly paired an innovative new manufacturing technique with the …

If there was one thing that really captured the mood of the eighties in Iceland, it was Don Cano clothing. The colorful clothing, which made its debut at the beginning of the decade, was something new and totally fresh. At the time, breakdancing was at the height of its popularity. When the trendiest dancers and top athletes began wearing Don Cano, it wasn’t long before the brand had become one of the most popular fashion brands in Icelandic history. The clothes, which appealed to all ages, were exceptionally well made, light, and comfortable. At some point in the middle of the decade, the craze was so widespread that every other Icelander was wearing Dan Cano and people actually fought over the clothes when they arrived in stores. Now, three decades later, rumor has it that Don Cano is making a comeback. But is that just wishful thinking or is there some truth to the rumors? Jan Davidsson, the former owner and head designer at Don Cano, is the only person who can really answer …

The collaboration between Icelandic product designer Hanna Dís Whitehead and Scottish textile designer Claire Anderson explores the Scottish and Icelandic craft tradition all the way to the common Viking ancestors. What role did crafts played in moulding the identity of the two nations? How do the two traditions compare? HA talked to Hanna Dís Whitehead to find out. Texti: Arnar Fells & Sari Peltonen / Ljósmyndir: Tian Khee Siong The show explores the Icelandic and Scottish craft traditions parallely. What were your key findings? Both Iceland and Scotland have a strong tradition in using wool. As it turns out, the material is very different in the two countries, which calls for different techniques and uses. The Icelandic wool is rough in comparison to its soft Scottish counterpart. Therefore, the textiles made from the two materials have a very different character. They make for a very interesting mix. We also used fish skin and recycled plastics. We found some interesting connections in old patterns, but also in patterns dating back just a few decades. We also …